Chee Wei bags gold for Malaysia in karate

INCHEON: Like a knight in shinning armour, Lim Chee Wei came to Malaysia’s rescue with a gold medal on the first day of the karate competition.

The 23-year-old Asiad debutant rose to the occasion to emerge victorious in the men’s individual kata event at the Gyeyang Gymnasium for Malaysia’s fourth gold in Incheon on Thursday.

He also kept the gold in Malaysia’s possession for the second straight Asiad as his coach and mentor Ku Jin Keat was the gold medallist in Guangzhou in 2010.

Chee Wei, who hails from Penang, dedicated the gold to his two coaches – Patrick Lim Chee Jin and Jin Keat.

“This is my first time at the Asiad and to start off with a gold is amazing. I did not expect it although I was confident of a medal.

“But I would not be able to achieve all these without the dedication and commitment of the two coaches who have sacrificed their time and money to groom me.

“This is a big win and I am now hoping to strike more glory for the country,’ said Chee Wei, a double gold medallist at the Myanmar SEA Games last year.

Chee Wei had a first-round bye and proceded straight to the quarter-finals.

He started off by demolishing Nepal’s Ram Bastolai Parshu 5-0. In the semi-finals, he was again in devastating form with a 4-1 win over Japan’s Issei Shimbaba.

There was no stopping Chee Wei although Indonesian Fidelys Lolobua provided him with a stiff fight. Chee Wei won 3-2 to nab the gold.

Jin Keat, who took over as the national kata team coach, was full of praise for his protege.

“We did target a medal from him. But to start off his debut in the Asian Games with a gold is good. I am sure he will improve along the way.

“He has been my student all the time and we all come from the same club. But more importantly, the win has given the whole team a boost and we have reached our target. But that does not mean we will stop here,” said Jin Keat.

There was, however, no joy for R. Sharmendran, the other Malaysian in action on Thursday.

Competing in the men’s kumite below 67kg category, Sharmendran started off promisingly with a 4-0 first-round win over Mukhammadzaid Iminov of Uzbekistan. But he was beaten 1-4 by Kuwait’s Abdulaziz Ali in the quarter-finals.

The karate team had arrived at the Games on Tuesday under pressure to deliver with Malaysia having only three golds to show and the gloom caused by first-day gold medallist Tai Cheau Xuen’s positive drugs test.

Now, hopes are up again and there is optimism that karate may well get a second gold in the kumite events. Four more Malaysians - S. Senthil, Syakila Saini, Nisha Alagasan and Shree Sharmini Segaran - will go into action on Friday.

The Star